Natural disasters can bring the best in people. I believe in this as my own community is dealing with people left homeless, many of them are hispanic, due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee that hit Prince William County on about September 8-9, 2011.
2011 is not even over yet and there have been 83 natural disaster declarations in the U.S. So far 3 more than last year’s total and much more compared with 5 years ago (2006) which had a total of 52 natural disaster declarations according to FEMA.
I don’t know how it feels to have your home destroyed. I’ve only heard stories, or watched news of those affected by natural disasters. I can only sympathise with what they must be going through. Their need is very real, and now it’s close to home.
Just a few days earlier I had prepared for Hurricane Irene, making sure that my yard was free from any debris that could take flight as result of the high winds. I made sure that my family was prepared for a possible electrical outage which over the years has not been out of the norm for my area, especially when a few years back our electricity was out for several days due to another natural disaster that I forget the name of. Luckily we were spared. I hope our community was not the only one relieved with minor problems but I saw some reports of damages down South which prompted our Governor to declare a state emergency for it. In fact, President Obama granted the request immediately since the costs associated both in public property and emergency response were approximately $39 million.
A few days earlier on August 23rd, 2011, I was in Fairfax helping my good friend Steve Hunt who was running for State Senate to represent the 37th district. As anyone who works in political campaigns knows the day before and the day of election are the toughest. I only got about 4 hours of sleep the night before. But I was so happy that it was coming to an end both because the campaign trail was so exhausting and I was really anxious to find out the results. I was roving from precinct to precinct when I decided to park in an off street parking near a subdivision with massive power line towers stretching to no end on either side. I was talking to Steve over the phone about the campaign situation when suddenly my car shook. Not being familiar with the area I thought I was near some train passing by so I glanced back quickly and there was nothing. Steve immediately knew what it was and told me we were having an earthquake. The next moment I think my life flashed before my own eyes. The next thing I saw was the ground moving and shaking, not just a part of it but literally everything. Just like when you see something like that in a movie. But this was no movie. Steve was still on the line and he told me to stay put and to stay clear of anything that could fall on me. I closed my windows quickly just in case the power lines came down. Thank god the towers stayed in place. A good man lost the election a few hours later that day.
Then just when you think the worst is over, we get heavy rains which seemed to never end. One of those days, I was driving on I-495 and there was a section that was entirely flooded. Not just any minor flood though, I think it must of been two feet high. I live near a flood zone so I was naturally worried but luckily we weathered this storm back at home. However, my neighbors up north were not so lucky. Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee have destroyed the Holly Acres Mobile Park located in Woodbridge, VA. Local English and Spanish media have done a great job in documenting the damages at Holly Acres. Those further up north were affected even more- businesses and public property. Our Governor declared it a state of emergency.
Its been many years (2007) since I made a public comment about what it is to live in Prince William County as a whole. That is another story for another time. But what I’m seeing now is a community coming together to help those in need. And I’m really proud and thankful for that.
The Prince William County Board of Supervisors gave $40,000 to the Prince William Chapter of the American Red Cross, a non-profit that I hold in high regard. There were other non-profits and people that have also helped those displaced and are no less important to the efforts, especially the Prince William County School System.
Those displaced by the flood were given temporary shelter at a local school until Friday, September 16, 2011. I was happy to learn, the day after I think, that State Delegate Torian and the First Mount Zion Baptist Church had agreed to partner up with the Prince William Red Cross to offer temporary shelter for those displaced for another week. Though Luke and I have disagreed on some issues in the past, this act of kindness really impressed me.
Late last week I contacted some people at the Governor’s office to inform them of the damages and despair of those displaced as a result of the floods of Tropical Storm Lee. The reality is that assessments have to be performed first so that the Governor can take the appropriate actions, but ultimately the federal government may have to decide on whether there is any assistance. I look forward to the results of the assessments and to hear how Governor McDonnell handles this very latest natural disaster that has affected many people and public/private property. I have a lot of faith in his leadership.
Here we are again with a looming deadline (September 23rd)and what the people need most is to find permanent housing and financial assistance. I’m calling property owners to see what they can do. I’m thankful to see many members of our community are trying to help in any way they can. I hope my small efforts will add to that.
Prince William County (PWC) and Prince William County (PWC) Schools have set up a fund which is going to be administered by Sparks, a nonprofit education foundation that supports PWC Schools. Please visit the following link:
http://poweredbyspark.org/
Here are other resources that can be helpful:
For information on the Virginia Department of Emergency and their services, please see:
http://www.vaemergency.gov/
A number people can call is 211, for free 24/7 help from operators from the Virginia Department of Social Services. For information on the Virginia Department of Social Services, please go to the link below:
http://www.dss.virginia.gov/
For information on the flood in Prince William County, please see a report to the PWC Board of County Supervisors at:
http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/15040.pdf
InsideNova.Com has set up a Facebook Page to act as a clearinghouse for information about it, you can visit:
http://www.facebook.com/vajeff?ref=ts#!/pages/Holly-AcresMarumsco-flood-relief-clearinghouse/218940938160645
